Motor vehicle



Jan. 22', 1929. 1 l w; s. CLARK MOTOR VEHICLE' Filed Sepp. 1.5, 19@

` INVENTOR. w M70/wary 5.6mm(

` Y u m BY VVF/V555.' Q;

YW @D L@ MMM PE ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 22, 1929.

UNITED STATES WORDEN S. CLARE, OF MILWAUKEE-WISCONS1'N.

MOTOR VEHICLE.

Application filed September The invention relates to an improved running gear for motor vehicles, and while primarily designed for use in connection with high-speed busses` for the transportation of 5 passengers in highway travel, the features of the invention are such that it is ,capable of extension to general use in transportation.

\ The invention resides in an improved body supporting frame comprising a main frame lo and two subframes, located near the respective ends of the main frame, such sub-frames being carried upon a plurality of pairs of driving wheels, the aXle of each pair of driving wheels being equipped with an independent driving motor, vthe arrangement constituting a multipleainit control.

The sub-frames at each end of the car are divided into two sections, and are pivoted.

tate the movement of the wheels over uneven road surfaces, and so reduce the' shocks` transmitted to the body of the vehicle. Guides are provided to restrain the sections of the sub-frames from lateral displacement and preserve their longitudinal alignment during the, relative vertical movements of the sub-frames with relation to .each other.

lin the form of the invention shown, the

truck under each sub-frame is composed of` three pairs of driving wheels, the wheelsof the fore and aft pairs being pivoted to their axles in the vertical plane of the tread of the wheels, to permit their lateral turning for steering purposes, while the Wheels of the intermediate axle follow.a fixed path. The distribution of road pressure by the large number of wheels employed lessens the destructive action upon the road surface, and at `the same time greatly increases thetraction.

1n steering, the wheels of the fore pair are turned in one direction, While the wheels of the aft pair are turned in the contrary direction. the truck at such time pivoting on the wheels of the intermediate pair, and following the line of movement'indlcated by the fore pair. The steering movement of o .the wheels of the front truck is at the direction of the operator of the vehicle, while the steering movement of the wheels of the rear truck 1s automatic, and immediately responsive to that of the front truck.'

internal combustion engine, is supported at sections have capacity for `vertical move- .for both.

A power plant comprising preferably an4 13, 1926. Serial No.Y 135,257.

the underside of the main frame, and is adapted to directly drive a Vgenerator assoelated therewith, for the production of current for operating the several motors employed. The several motors are connected for synchronous operation, and may readily be brought up to s eed.

Having thus out lned the nature and purposes of my invention, I will now describe 35 i the "structural features -1nore particularly, and in the appended claims will point out the novelty-residing in the invention.

' In the accompanying drawings:

vFigure 1 is a view in left side elevation of 70 the running gear of a motor vehicle constructed in accordance with my invention.

Ifig. 2 isla plan view thereof, with the main frame omitted for the sake of clearness of illustration. 7

Fig. 3, is a transverse vertical, sectional view on the line 3-3,4Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 4 is a diagram showing the manner of connecting the main frame and subframes, and the pivoted connections of the 30 latter. 'l In the drawing, the numeral 10 indicates the main frame upon which the body of the vehicle is mounted. The said frame is su ported upon a front truck and a rear-truc arranged near the respective ends of the main frame. The connection between the main frame and the trucks is effected through fiftlnwheels 11 and 12.

Each truck comprises a sub-frame, indi- 00 cated A at the front, and B at the rear, both suoli` sub-frames andv their associated elements being generallyof such llike construction, that a description of one will sufce Each of the sub-frames iscoinon prised of affront section 13, comprising'side b ars 14 tied together by suitable cross bars l5, and a rear section 16,' likewise composed of side bars 17-and ytying cross bars 18, thel elements' of each section of the sub-frame 10o being constructed to form a rigid structure. The side bars 14 are laterally offset with relation to each other at a point 19 near their mid-length, but otherwise extend in parallelism. In this manner, a space is provided in the rear end of the front section for the entry of the forward end of the rear section, and which permits the side bars 17 of the rear section to be brought in longiv tudinal alignment, with the narrower forlio mation of the' side bars 14 at the front of the front section, as in Fig. 2, to permit and so enable a uniform arrangement to be made of the springs which support the slung or spring-sustained weight ofthe vehicle,

. and 17, the rear ends of the side bars 14 are providedwith widened bearing surfaces in 'the form of attached guides 21, elongated vertically, and tied together by vtransversely extending rods 22. In the relative vertical movements of the sub-frame sections, the side bars 17 will ride over the opposed surfaces of the guides 21, and the tendency to lateral movement of the sections with respect to each ot ytheir alignment preserved."

i Fig. 4 shows diagrammatically the manner in `which the main rame is mounted upon the truck, and how the two sections of the latter are connected so as to reduce the shocks due to road obstructions. The pivoted point 20 of the forward end of the rear section with the frontsection, ismade at a point about mid-lengtlrof the latter, so

that any vibration of one of the Wheels when an obstructionvis encountered, is reduced to approximately one-sixth in its effect upon v the main frame.'

Springs 23, preferably semi-elliptical, are

attached Latftheir ends to the underside 'of the side bars of the Subirame, two. springs 234to each side bar 14, Vand one to the side bar 17, andl Vrest intermediately u on the axles 24, 25 and 26, to which t ey are properly shackled. v The fore axle. 24 and the aft axle 25, carry at their ends pivoted -stub axles 27, upon which the pairs of driving wheels 28 and 29 are mounted to rotate,y

so that the fore and aft wheels may turn vertically upon their treads. The drivlng wheels 30 of the intermediate pair are mounted to rotate -in fixed relation upon the tending radial arms 31, connected at theirv ends of the intermediateV axle 26 and have no other movement.

The stub axles upon which the fore wheels 28 rotate, are provided with rearwardly Vexfree ends by a link '32, and the. stub axles of the aft wheels 29 are provided withlike forwardly extending arms 33, connected at their free ends by a link 34. vA longitudinally arranged rock shaft 35 is journalled at its ends in bearing in the cross bars of the sub-v frame sections 13 and 16, and is provided at its ends withy radial arms 36 and 37, which latter are connected by links 38 and 39 to the links 32 and 34, respectively, so

that by partial rotation of the rock shaft 35,

the fore wheels 28 are turned in one direc' her will be restrained andy tion, and the aft wheels 29 in the opposite i direction, to effect a steering movement of the vehicle from its straight line course, or restoring it to such course.

The rock shaft-35 is formed in three sections, with their `adjacent ends connected by universal joints, the "intermediate section being geared as at 40, to the steering post 40'-, the latter being under the contro of the operator. In such steering movement, the fronttruck pivots on the intermediate wheels 30, and follows the course indicated .by the fore wheels 28.

In the rear truck, an arrangement somewhat similar to Athat described is provided for effecting swinging movements of the fore and aft pairs of wheels, the latter being actuated by radial arms on the stub axles, and connected by links, as before. The rock shaft 41 forming part of this construction, is journaled at its ends in Vbearings in the sideihars of the sub-framesections at .one

side of the latter.. A longitudinally disposed telescoping pole lor lever 42,-is pivoted at its rear Vend to the fore axle of the rear truck, and attached at `its frontend at a point which is fixed in its relation to the main frame. Intermediate its ends, butv near its rear` end, the pole 42 is connected to the link 43, connecting the radial arms of the front stubaxles, so that as the main frame andl body of the vehicle turn to one side in rresponse to the steering action of the front truck, the fore wheels of. the rear truck follow with a like movement,l which is wholly automatic. The contrary movement 4of'the aft wheels of the rear truck follows, thev truck pivoting on the intermediate wheels, asbefore described. V

Each pair of wheels is provided with an independent driving motor 45, 46, 47, 48, 49 and'50, arrangedin parallel, and supported in proper position upon the respective axles, and geared to the axle so as to"- drive the same through the usual difieren?" The.

tial arranged in the axle housing.

motors are energized by the' generator 51,

mounted Aunder the main frame 10, about the 'mid-length of the latter. Associated with vthe .generatoris a power plant 52, which preferably is in the form of an internal combustion engine. The location of ,the power plant and generator at the point indicated el'l'ect a lowcenter of gravity for the car structure, and add greatly. to stabilization of its movements.

A controller 53.

in the main circuit, enables the operator of.

thevvehicle toregulate the speed.

y The articular manner of supporting the main stated, is very advantageous, and results in absorbing practically the entire road shock. The connection of the rear sectionv of the sub-frame at a line mid-way between thev pairs of wheels-,of the front section of .the

ame upon the trucks, as before,

sub-frame, and the snpzport 'of the main at a point near the endof the first third of its length, and approximately in the line of the intermediateiaxle, as shown in' 4, reduces the vibration of the body carried by the inain frame to a minimn'm.

Having thus described my' invention, What v I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, isz.

frame' on the rear Section of the sub-framev the Wheels of thefront sub-frame as ldescribed,`v connections for effecting a corresponding turning 'of the fore'and aft pairs Y f of Wheels ofthe rear.sb frame, a motor for each pair of driving Wheels, and a power plant for energizing the motors.

4. In a motor vehicle a mam framefand a subffraxne, at each end thereof, such snbrames being composed of tWo sections l. In a motor vehicle, ama-in frame, and

a sub-frame at each yendV thereof, each sub- -frame being provided. with three pairsof driving Wheels, theforeand' aft pairs of which are mounted so as torturn in opposite directions abont the i intermediate .pair in steering 'the vehicle, means under control of the operator to turn the Wheels'as described of the front sub-frame, and connections to effect a -like movement of the Wheels c of theirear sub-frame and means associated frame being provided With-av plurality ofV with the sub-frames for `driving Wheels thereof.-

2. In aA sub-frame at each end thereof, eachl sub-` rame being provided with aplurality, ofy pairs of wheels, with means under control 'oi the operator to,turn some ofthe Wheels of the front sub-frame in steering the vehicle, and connections for effecting a corresponding'turning movement of some of the Wheels ofthe rear sub-frame and means pivoted one tothe otherA to permit independent vertical movement, means for maintaining the` said sections in longitudinal and. vertical alignment, each such sub-frame being Aprovided 'with' a` plurality of pairs of driving Wheels, the fore and aft pairs of Which'are adapted to bel turned in opposite directions in steering theT vehicle, andmeans a motor vehicle, a main frame,` and associated with the sub-frame fordrivingA Wheels thereof.y A.

Ina motor vehicle, a main frame, and a sub-frame at each'end thereof, each subpairs of driving Wheels, the fore and aft 'pairs of which are adapteilf to be turned in oppositey 'directions about intermediate porting the frontl section, and one pair of aft Wheels supporting the rear section, and such rear section being pivoted at its front endfto the front section in :a line intermediate the aXles of the 'pairs of fore and intermediate wheeis, with the main frame supported-on the rear section of the sub# frame at a vpoint approximately over the intermediate axle and approximately onethird from its pivoted end in the direction' ofv its length, to minimize the shocks transmitted to the main frame by road obstructions.

Wheels to eect steering of the vehicle,

means under control of the operator to turn In testimony whereof, I have signed my name at Milwaukee, this 20th day of August, v

" W. s; CLARK. 

